Premier Houston returns as Nova Scotia energy minister following MacLeod's resignation over rap lyrics

Premier Tim Houston answers questions from reporters at One Government Place on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Houston is taking over the energy portfolio after giving it up to MacLeod in May 2026. PHOTO BY RYAN TAPLIN /The Chronicle Herald Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has once again taken up the mantle of energy minister, just a few months after giving the portfolio to Marco MacLeod. Houston said he has no plans to appoint someone else to replace MacLeod, who resigned Wednesday. “It’s a file that I know well, and it’s a file that I’ve been close to,” Houston said to reporters Thursday. “So we’ll just continue to work on it.” A large portfolio for the premier’s schedule Houston’s decision means that in addition to his job as premier; he will again be taking on the responsibilities of one of the province’s largest portfolios. This has raised concerns about how much time he would be able to dedicate to energy while balancing his everyday role. Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said the scale of the portfolio and its importance in the province was why there needed to be a minister focused only on energy. “We need a dedicated minister,” Rankin said, pointing to power rates that are on the rise, as well as the need to establish infrastructure for energy projects like offshore wind. “We need that dedicated minister to get to work to lower power bills and to finally see shovels in the ground to build the transmission that should have been done years ago.” Houston’s second time in the energy seat Houston had overseen the energy portfolio following a cabinet shuffle in October 2025, holding that role until MacLeod was appointed in May this year. MacLeod’s resignation from cabinet came after weeks of criticism over misogynistic lyrics in songs MacLeod posted online in 2013. Houston said he was supportive of MacLeod’s decision to step back to focus on “his own learning and growing,” in addition to the concerns of people in his riding. “I can respect that decision,” said Houston. Former Nova Scotia energy minister Marco MacLeod resigned from his ministerial role Wednesday. PHOTO BY TIM KROCHAK /The Chronicle Herald He added that the former minister had taken responsibility and begun taking steps to do better. Acknowledging that some of the lyrics were hurtful, Houston pushed back against people wanting to “pile on” MacLeod. “He apologized. He’s taking all of the steps that you can ask of a human being.” As of now, Houston said, Macleod would not be…